


lover

by greeneggsandsam



Category: Queer as Folk (US)
Genre: 5x13, F/M, Marriage Proposal, My version of the end, What I wish happened, another taylor swift title, i actually liked the ending but i like this more, justin still becomes a successful artist but like.....in Pittsburgh
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-23
Updated: 2020-03-23
Packaged: 2021-02-28 18:02:47
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,440
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23271418
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/greeneggsandsam/pseuds/greeneggsandsam
Summary: “So let things go back to normal, and then…ask me again.”Alternate ending for Brian and Justin. Set around 5x11-13.
Relationships: Ben Bruckner/Michael Novotny, Brian Kinney/Justin Taylor (Queer as Folk), Melanie Marcus/Lindsay Peterson
Comments: 8
Kudos: 87





	lover

**Author's Note:**

> A lot of canon things just did not happen bc in five i am G-d. Roll w it

“Stop being ridiculous.” 

“I’m not being ridiculous. I mean it.”

“You don’t mean it!”

Justin started to turn away only to have his hand grabbed by Brian’s and be spun back around. Brian wore a rare, earnest expression on his face. 

“I do.” He said quietly. Justin sighed, and tried to ignore the elated feeling in his chest in favor of logic. 

“Okay. Let’s say you mean it. You mean it right now, with your best friend in the hospital, your friends terrified, your club in ruins. Sure, okay, you mean it. But what about tomorrow? Next week? Next month? Once things settle down again you’ll come to your senses and go back to detesting marriage and all who enter into it.”

“I won’t. I’ve changed my mind.”

“Well, you’ll change it back. Thank you for asking, but…” Justin trailed off. ‘ _ But my answer is no’ _ , was how the sentence had ended in his head. But how is he supposed to say that? How do you wish for something for five years and then, when it’s handed to you on a silver platter say ‘ _ thanks, but no thanks’ _ ? Well. He knows how. You say it because it’s the smart thing to say. The right thing to say. 

But he couldn’t. So instead he said, “Look. Let things settle down. Michael will get better. You’ll reopen Babylon. There’ll be a lot of crying and pain and funerals and protests. And then things will get better. I really believe that.”

“The eternal optimist--the sun will come out tomorrow.” Brian said, and Justin was relieved to hear some of his signature deadpan irony come back to his voice. He had been far too sincere this whole conversation. Justin grinned.

“Well, maybe not tomorrow--but yes. You know me.” Justin turned back to his canvas and picked up his brush. “So let things go back to normal, and then…ask me again.” He turned back to Brian with a self satisfied grin. He didn’t have to say ‘no’ after all--Brian would say it for him. 

“Ask you again?”

“Provided, of course, you still want to marry me. Which I practically guarantee you won’t.”

Brian tilted his head and a slow smile spread across his face. “Challenge accepted.” 

____________________

A month later, they were at Melanie and Lindsay’s house. ‘They’ were composed of Michael, Ben, Hunter, Brian, Justin, Ted, Emmett, Debbie, and their hostesses. Michael had accepted Brian’s apology and made one of his own; they had reconciled, much to everyone’s relief. Melanie and Lindsay were back together and as happy as ever. Justin had been getting rave reviews left and right. Things felt cautiously alright, like a vase that had been pieced back together--the glue was still drying, but it seemed that it would hold. 

  
Lindsay, as was her way, gave voice to this sentiment. 

“It seems like things are almost… alright again.” She said cautiously. She and Melanie were both dressed in house clothes. Gus and JR were asleep (for now), and Melanie was leaning her head on her wife’s shoulder. There was a general assent to this statement, and Brian looked sharply at Justin. 

“Seems that way.” Brian said. He was lounging on the floor next to the armchair where Justin was curled up, and he craned his neck to look at him. “Mikey’s all but recovered. The thumpa-thumpa at Babylon has started again. There’s been crying and pain and funerals and protests.”

Justin gave him a fond, exasperated look (one perfected by all of Brian Kinney’s loved ones) and nudged Brian’s shoulder with his foot. 

“And I must admit I did not go unaffected by all the emotion.” Brian continued, tilting his head thoughtfully toward the ceiling.

“Wow, the ice queen admits she has feelings like all us mortals.” Emmett cut in, and everyone laughed. Brian simply continued as if he hadn’t heard.

“I suppose in such an… emotionally volatile time, it would have been a poor time to make any… dramatic life decisions. But I almost did. Thankfully Sunshine here talked me out of it.” Brian flashed Justin his winning, insincere smile, and Justin cautiously smiled back. Brian was in speech making mode, and it seemed like he was ramping up to something. 

“What--you almost bought another ‘toy’ like Babylon?” Ted asked, and Brian replied, “Something like that, Theodore.”

“Well--thank Christ you talked him out of it. It would’ve given me a heart attack--as managing your expenses is wont to do.” Ted continued, directing his words first at Justin and then at Brian. 

“But now that things have… settled down,” Brian nodded at Lindsay. “I’ve thought over that dramatic life decision I nearly made and I’ve reached a conclusion.”

“Knew you would.” Justin replied, now relaxing. It was simply one of his marriage speeches he was ramping up to, about imitation heterosexuals and Stepford fags. It was a speech he knew well--the repetition was almost comforting at this point. 

“That you did, Sunshine.” Brian conceded with a smile. “But I’m not entirely sure you knew what I’d decide.”

“Oh?”

Brian twisted so he was kneeling before Justin’s chair. Then he shifted onto one knee. And he pulled out a ring.

The room was silent. If the group could have seen a picture of the shock on their faces at that moment they might have laughed--identical expressions, all open mouths and wide eyes. Justin was simply staring down at the ring intensely, looking as though he might pass out or vomit.

“You said to wait until things had calmed down, and then to ask you again.”

“Well--well I never thought you actually would!”

“What can I say? I’m full of surprises.” He held up the ring and looked at Justin. “I love you. Marry me.”

Debbie gave what sounded like a small scream, Melanie let out a bark of shocked laughter, Lindsay put her hands over her mouth. 

Justin noticed none of this. He was staring at Brian with an unreadable expression. Suddenly he threw his legs over the side of the armchair and stood up on the floor. He began to pace back and forth in the small space behind the chair, his eyes on the floor, while Brian’s tracked his movement. Then he came to an abrupt stop.

“Why?”

“...why?”

“Yes. You hate marriage. Why would you want to marry me?”

Brian put the hand he was holding the ring in down to his lap. He looked at Justin. “Because I want to make you happy.”

A slow smile spread across Justin’s face. Brian felt as though he had just passed a test. Justin quickly and lithely climbed back over the chair and took Brian’s face in both hands, pulling him into a kiss. When they broke apart, Brian held up the ring once more. 

“So is that a yes?”

Justin smiled broadly  _ (then I knew why Debbie calls you ‘Sunshine’) _ and kissed him again. Then, with Brian’s face still held gently in both hands, he spoke softly.

“Nah.”

Brian blinked. He pulled away. He raised his eyebrows. “ _ Nah” _ ?

Justin shrugged. “Nah.”

Brian cocked his head to one side and the corner of his mouth crooked upwards. “And, pray tell, why not?”

“For the same reason you asked me. I just want you to be happy.” Justin flopped back down into his chair, and ignored all the shocked faces in the room in favor or continuing to look into Brian’s eyes. A smile was slowly spreading across his face. “We don’t need rings or vows to prove we love each other. I love what we have. I love you. I want you to keep being who you are, and I want to be with you. That’s what would make me happy.”

There was a beat, and then Brian pulled Justin into such a fierce hug he lifted him off the chair completely. They stayed like that for a few moments, and then Lindsay broke the silence.

“Well, I think that was the most lovely proposal rejection I’ve ever seen.”

There was another pause, and then a round of laughter and cheers. 

____________________

Later, they were in the car on the way back to Brian’s loft. Justin didn’t think it would be difficult to break his lease--the whole operation had been rather under-the-table. He couldn’t wait to get back to the loft. It was his home, no matter what he had told himself. 

“So,” Brian broke the comfortable silence. “Looks like we beat the system, Sunshine. Happiness without matrimony. Commitment without monotony. Just us, like always.”

“Mm, not quite the same as always.”

“Oh?”   
“You’re definitely getting me that puppy.”


End file.
